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  1. Been working on an old ICM Studebaker truck. I did this to learn some new skills regarding building weeled vehicles. The kit came from an old stash and it wasn't the best. The plastic had completly dried out so i broke very fast. However, i managed to pull of a decent vignette of a russian driver taking a break. Enjoy and all comments are more then welcome.
  2. In Q4 2023 Q1 2024 ICM is to release a 1/48th Martin B-26B Marauder kit - ref. 48320 Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM48320 V.P.
  3. Kozak-001 (35015) 1:35 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd The Kozak series of vehicles are a Ukrainian-produced Mine Resistant Ambush Protected family that are based upon commercially available chassis, but are heavily modified with armour, some of which is under the crew compartment to deflect blast from a mine or IED. It was developed in response to a need for protected troop transports for reconnaissance, patrolling and other such tasks, and was first seen in 2014, although only a few proof-of-concept vehicles were made by Practika, in competition with several other types from other manufacturers, the Kozak going through to the next stage as one of the three that met the Ukrainian Army’s requirements. The original vehicle is based upon a heavily modified Iveco Eurocargo chassis, but the -001 design is based on the Iveco Daily, which has a shorter chassis, resulting in a more compact vehicle. Looking at any of the variants side-by-side you wouldn’t think they were related to any commercial platform, as the outward differences are so great. It doesn’t have a sharply V-shaped hull in the same respect that custom designs do, but most of the chassis’ length is protected by a shallower V-shaped armoured panel that underpins the crew compartment, and in concert with the anti-trauma seating that is installed within, it satisfies the needs of the Ukrainian forces in the event of an IED detonating underneath. The exposed wheel stations would likely be sacrificed in the blast, but the diversion of the explosive energy away from the crew is the key aspect. After the initial design, and subsequent production of the Kozak-001, the improved Kozak-2 was developed, incorporating a weapons station on the roof that allows the operator protection from small-arms fire, with vision slots that are protected by armoured glass in each of the side wall panels, plus a splinter-guard with more vision slots at the front, through which the machine gun projects, either mounting an NSV heavy machine gun, or another 7.62mm weapon, depending on availability and mission requirements. The Kozak-2 entered service in 2017, and has seen plenty of active service since the invasion of Ukraine that began on 24th of February 2022. The Kit This is a reboxing of a brand-new tooling from ICM of the Kozak-2 with new parts to backdate it, and has been made in cooperation with the vehicle’s manufacturers Practika, as noted on the box top in the top right, which bodes well. The kit arrives in a top-opening box, with a captive flap on the lower tray, and inside are seven sprues of grey styrene, two identical clear sprues, a bag containing five flexible black plastic tyres, a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) of a copper-coloured metal, decal sheet, and the instruction booklet that is printed in colour on glossy paper, and has profiles on the rear pages to help with painting and decaling. Detail is excellent, and as it’s a home-grown product, local knowledge will have come in very handy, as will their proximity for fact checking, although the vehicles have been rather busy of late, working tirelessly to recover areas of their country still under occupation. Construction begins with the chassis rails, which have a leaf-spring attached to the front, and two double-leaf arrangements that are each made from two halves at the rear. Small armour plates and other parts are fitted to the frontmost rail sides, then the cross-members are built, with two under the engine bay, a central four-part transfer box at the midpoint, a tough braced bar behind that, and another at the rear. Under the rear suspension is an additional cross-rail, plus a braced rail that has a pair of two-part tanks applied, one on each side before mounting. The solid floor pan is detailed with a three-part representation of the underside of the engine and sump, then the chassis rails are mated to the underside on tabs, adding a short drive-shaft that links the transmission to the transfer box, ready for when the axles are completed. The front axle is a thick assembly with differential bulge near the centre, which is made from two halves, and has the rear of the hubs attached at the ends, and a damper bar that joins to the chassis via links, and the drive-shaft that links it to the transfer box. A steering actuator and two armoured plates are fitted over the newly mounted axle, adding two dampers to the rear, and a C-shaped linkage that joins the two hubs together. The rear axle is built from four parts, and is much bulkier than the front, as are the hub assemblies, which are each three parts. This is then glued to the leaf-springs, adding dampers, drive-shaft, damper bar, another cross-member, and a towing shackle at the rear. The interior of the Kozak-001, the name of which, if you haven’t already guessed means ‘Cossack’, is a spartan compartment that is designed for a purpose and nothing more, keeping weight and clutter to a minimum, as well as reducing the likelihood of small parts becoming projectiles in the event of an IED detonation. The crew seats are built first, making the back from cushion and backrest, then adding this to the base cushion and two concertina-style side panels, plus front and rear sections, taking care to line up the concertina elements to minimise clean-up. An adjustment lever is fixed under the front edge, and you should bear in mind that the seats are handed, so take care to fix the correct one to the tread-plated floor on its guide-slots. A small gear lever is made from two halves and inserted into the centre console, which is moulded into the floor. The dash is a single moulding with three decals that has the three pedals glued into the lower portion, then has the multi-part steering wheel, column and separate stalks fitted on the left side, with a gaiter and hi/low ratio knob mounted in the centre of the dash low down. The dash is mounted on a central locating guide in front of the crew seats, and behind and between them a four-part rack with crew step/jump seat that has anti-slip tread-plate moulded into it, and acts as the support for the gunner when he is in action, folding away when not in use to keep obstruction to a minimum. Two individual passenger seats are built with two-part backs, adding tubular frames to the sides and head-rest that helps prevent crew displacement, flail and neck injuries, fixing onto the seat cushion that has more U-shaped tubes glued underneath that project up and help keep the sitter’s body in position in case of a sharp sideways jolt. A back frame and a pair of shock-absorbing tubes attach the frame to the deck behind the driving crew, facing forward. The other six seats are fitted centrally in an island formation with three on each side facing sideways. The base cushions are all moulded as a single linked unit, to which the lower tubes are fitted, adding two central supports in the space between them, then adding the seat backs, which are built identically and at the same time as the first pair. This assembly is then mounted on a pair of raised rectangular areas of the floor, ready for the body to be built up. The vehicle sides are one part each, and cover the entire length of the chassis, adding radiused bullet-proof windows in the sides, a foot-plate at the front, and drilling out three 1mm holes as indicated in a scrap diagram nearby, which also advises the removal of two loops on the top of the parts. An interior skin is prepared by adding grab-handles and weapon stowage clips under the windows, with the inner face of the shooting loupes moulded into the surface. The laminated right side is offered up to the chassis, adding the front wing liner and inner panel to the engine bay at the same time, then doing the same for the left side, before working on the windscreen panel, which has two panes inserted into the frames, and two instruments applied to the centre frame on the inside. This is mated to the bonnet and two windscreen wiper blades are fitted into pockets in the bonnet before joining the two. The rear bulkhead has an inner and outer skin, then has the multi-part bumper and clear light clusters applied to the lower edge. It would be a good idea to prepare the front and rear panels at the same time as the sides, not just for ease of painting, but also to ensure that the side panels are mounted to the correct angle and can’t sag while the glue cures. The roof has four small parts fitted to the underside before it is glued in place, completed with a pair of moulded-in escape hatches and the circular cut-out for the roof-mounted weapons station. The grille is fitted to the front of the vehicle, and has a thick bumper with moulded-in reflectors for the clear lights that are installed and painted with suitable clear shades, then have protective cages folded from PE parts, with a winch housing between them. The front skirt is made from two layers and has small sensors fitted into recesses, then is assembled on the front with the bumper, and a cow-catcher that is built from eight parts, including three horizontal slats that protect the grille. The Kozak-001 has four side doors, two on each side for the driving crew and front passengers, all of which have inner and outer skins plus glazing, with grab handles fitted inside, and handles on the outside, while the front doors have wing mirrors on large C-shaped tubular frames, and the rear doors have a circular cut-out that doubles as firing loupe for the front passengers. The rear doors are similar in construction, but with a smaller fixed window near the top, inserting into the frames at the rear. All doors can be posed open or closed as you please. Inverting the model allows fitting of the anti-mine keel panel, which has the ends closed off to prevent ingress of the explosive wavefront to maximise its effectiveness in diverting the blast laterally. Mudflaps are added to the rear of the front wheels, and on both sides of the rear wheels, then the wheels are made to fill the arches. The spare tyre is built first, adding a two-part hub from either side of the flexible tyres, and mounting it under the body at the rear. The rear pair of wheels have a slightly different pair of hub halves inserted from each side, and then have a choice of two styles of dust covers fixed over the outer face. The front wheels have similar two-part hubs, with an additional centre insert, and the same choice of dust covers over the front. They all fit onto their appropriate axles, but don’t put the model on its wheels just yet. There are a pair of crew steps to be fitted onto the keel panels under the rearmost side door on both sides, then the model is turned right-side up for all the external detail to be added to it. The first item is a searchlight, which has a clear lens and styrene rear, mounting on the right wing in front of a small part near the scuttle. A perforated mount for the pioneer tools is filled with four hand-tools before it is mounted on the right rear of the body. A two-part cage is closed around the searchlight, and is completed by adding two top bars, and a bracket that stands out past the side of the wing for another mirror that is added later. Under the tools a pair of three-part brackets are mounted on recesses, and on the opposite side a pair of towing bars are fitted under the windows on pins. Two small lifting eyes are glued to the scuttle, and an LED lamp with armoured shroud fits into a pair of recesses on the left wing. What looks like a tubular convoy light in a shroud is added to the centre above the rear doors, and five rungs are glued to the left side of the rear for access to the roof, with a sixth on a bracket that hangs down below the bodywork, adding a jerrycan in its holder to the left. Grab handles are fitted between and above the side doors, on the roof above the ladder, and on the front and sides of the bonnet to ease access to all the horizontal panels, and on the right flank, a cage is fixed to the body for another jerry can. The detailing is still far from over though, as the wing-mounted indicators and roof-line repeaters are positioned, with the more exposed lower wing lights protected by four half-torus PE guards that create a cage around them on both sides. PE cages are added around the rear lights too, bending the ends to match the profile, then adding a pair of stirrups below the back doors. The left door frame accepts a two-part exhaust that allows the vehicle to plough through water up to a metre deep without stopping to prepare. The machine gun turret is based on a ring under the floor, which has triangular supports for the side panels moulded-in, fitting two grab-handles to the inside of the hatch before installing it in the D-shaped cut-out. The two side armour panels have their bullet-proof windows inserted from inside, and are then assembled onto the base, adding an Y-frame support for the machine gun, which needs a 0.8mm hole drilling to accept the weapon, moulded with a separate spent-brass dump bag on the left, and with a three-part ammo box on the right, adding a folded bipod under the barrel, an adjustment lever on the vertical support, and another part affixed to the breech. The completed gun is then lowered onto the mount, securing its pin in the hole drilled earlier, then finishing off by adding a rear-view mirror on a bracket on the left side. The completed assembly then drops into the cut-out and is rotated to lock it in place. Markings There are four options on the decal sheet, all with a base coat of green, and various camouflages applied over the top. From the box you can build one of the following: Kyiv, 2016 Odessa, October 2016 Eastern Operational Territorial Unit of the National Guard of Ukraine, Autumn, 2019 South Eastern Ukraine, Autumn, 2022 Decals are by ICM’s usual partners, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion it’s good to see that Ukraine’s military equipment being kitted for us modellers, so we can show support in some small way for their fight. It’s a good-looking kit, and apart from adding some window blinds, strap for the top gunner, and a few cables in the passenger compartment, it’s an excellent rendition of the type. Hopefully, we’ll see some of the other variants in the future. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  4. Wasn’t planning on entering this groupbuild but came across this when tidying up the stash. Always like the look of the Mustang with the Malcolm Hood, so I will be aiming for a quick OOB build.
  5. ICM expect to release in 2025 a 1/48th Henschel Hs.129B-1 kit. Source: catalogue 2024 V P.
  6. Hi All, This my first thread on Britmodeller so go easy on me!! Im James, ive had a passion for aviation since an early age and started model making in around 2009ish. I started with Airfix/Tamiya and have since slowly built up my skills since, I'm a CAD Designer by trade and have got into 3d printing I've got a Anycubic photo mono SE more on that in a minute... anyways this is my Gladiator build which started when I went on holiday to Malta late last year did all the spots and thought it would be interesting to have a pop at a Gladiator I like 32nd because I'm a bit of a sucker for super detailing and using evergreen styrene and 3d printing where I can to speed things along and add way more detail than by hand!! I'm using -icm 1:32 gladiator -eduard big ed for sea gladiator -xtradecal X32069 -various evergreen stock -resin 3d printer So this was my view in November This is what I got as a Christmas present from my parents unfortunately not a sea gladiator but I can fix that! this is what ill be aiming for the "iconic" photo of N5520 "faith" And so it begun around a month ago, I managed to find a decent side on view of the rear tube structure... I think you'll be able to tell where this is going. this enabled me to crate the base of the structure in evergreen 1.2mm rod which was great but I think this could be a bit better. Fusion is your friend knocked this up quickly .25mm thick A small production run of a couple of different angles the end result looked quite neat I did both sides just like the real thing the craziest thing is up to this point it only took 1 day the seat was next mounts and seat lever mountings modelled off reference images next I took a deep breath and took a dremmel to the right fuselage side to reveal the structure beneath over the next few weeks I slowly added little details as I found more reference images and items like air tanks and fuel tank were printed the oil cooler is a stand out feature on a gladiator with the panels off to I modelled one in fusion to fill the gap and here it is right up to date almost ready for some paint, you can't see here but I did do bracing wires from stretched sprue look forward to seeing everyones feedback another update soon.. James
  7. From Hannants e-shop, the new ICM 2024 programme https://www.hannants.co.uk/search/index.php?adv=1&product_category_id=103&product_division_id=&manufacturer_id=8060&product_type_id=&code=&scale_id=&keyword_search=&setPerPage=100&sort=0&search_direction=0&save_search_name=&save_search= The aircraft hightlights being in my opinion de new tool 1/48th Sikorsky UH-60A and MH-60L Black Hawk helicopter kits expected in Q4 2024 - thread is here: link V.P.
  8. At the Moscow "Мир детства 2021" expo, ICM has announced a 1/35th Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe kit for 2022. Source: AlexGRD V.P.
  9. Ki-21-1a Sally (48196) 1:48 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd The Sally, as she was known by the Allies during WWII was a heavy bomber designed by Mitsubishi as a replacement for the Ki-20, in competition with Nakajima, who although they lost out on the design of the aircraft, were given the contract for the power plants, as their HA-5 engines were found to be superior to Mitsubishi’s offering that was originally installed in the winning design. A small number of airframes were also built by Nakajima, with a total of just over 2,000 built between them. It first flew in 1936 and was intended for long-range bombing missions against Soviet and Chinese opponents, first entering service in 1938 in operations against China. Initial experience showed that the design was lacking in some respects, extending to the crucial oxygen system that was initially found to be unreliable. The Ib was intended to address most of the issues, including the lack of armament and changes to the flying surfaces. It also had a remote tail gun installation, and could mount an additional fuel tank for extreme range missions. The type was pretty much obsolete by 1940, and mounting losses prompted the type’s withdrawal from front line service, and the sale of some of the superfluous airframes to nations that remained friendly to the Japanese Empire. Uses were still found for the type with the Japanese forces however, and the remaining aircraft were used until the end of the war as cargo transports, trainers, troop transports and communications hacks. The later variants had improved engine performance with new Mitsubishi units, some with alterations to the greenhouse behind the cockpit, which was changed to a turret on some, and removed entirely on transport variants. The Kit This is a reboxing of a brand-new tool from ICM, following on from its smaller 1:72 sibling kit that was relatively recently released by ICM. The kit arrives in a top-opening box that has a captive top flap on the bottom tray. Inside are seven sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue in a separate bag, decal sheet and the instruction booklet, which is printed in colour with profiles for painting and decaling on the back pages. Detail is thoroughly modern, and extends to ribbing on the interior of most of the fuselage, restrained fabric depiction on the flying surfaces, full representation of the engines and a nice cockpit, plus a set of crystal-clear glazing parts. Construction begins with the fuselage halves, which have the unarmed early tail added to the rear on a keyed flange, a lozenge-shaped detail insert to make the wing root recess flush, and the side windows, ammo drums dotted around the interior, plus multiple well-detailed equipment boxes inserted in the cockpit area, O2 bottles in the wing area, and later a line of trunking that extends from the trailing edge of the wing to the tail. The mid-upper gunner’s compartment is built from a series of ribbed steps that are glued to a base with another step, which is then joined to a bulkhead at the front that forms the rear bulkhead of the bomb bay, and has ribbing along its lower portion, then the bomb bay roof is fitted out with eight bomb shackles before the sides and front bulkhead are installed, and it is then populated by four bombs that are each made from two halves, plus twin braces to each side of the stabilising fins at the rear. The bomb bay is joined to the underside of the cockpit floor, and in the recess that is part of the forward floor, detail is moulded into the top of the bomb bay, and it accepts one pilot’s rudder pedals that fit into pairs of holes in the deck. A seat with cushion is suspended over the recess, then another more substantial seat is attached to the floor at the port side with a lever to the side of it, adding a side console, throttle quadrant and two bow-tie control columns before the front bulkhead is fixed to the cockpit, plus a pair of two-part fuel tanks further back over the wing along the starboard wall, with a small equipment installation just forward. The cockpit assembly can then be inserted into the port fuselage half, adding the bomb-aimer’s position with a choice of two glazing parts, one with a cushion and vertical column, one bare, slotting into the cut-out under the nose. More ammo cans are dotted around the upper gunner’s stepped compartment, adding a clear porthole in the floor, and an internal ladder below the crew access door in the port side. The reason for the ammo cans includes side-firing and ventral machine guns, with a choice of weapons that have a plate magazine over the breech, or Type 89 machine guns, gluing the floor-mounted glazing panel into one side of the lower fuselage before it is closed. In the front, a rack of four O2 bottles are inserted in the roof of the nose, then the starboard fuselage is prepared in a similar manner as the port, fitting the wing root insert, adding glazing, instruments, machine gun ammo cans, a jump seat and the afore-mentioned trunk down the wall of the fuselage. The fuselage halves are closed around the instrument panel that has a pair of decals to depict the dials, a short pointed coaming, and centre throttle quadrant, plus the upper gunner’s seat that is suspended on four moulded-in struts that locate on corresponding depressions in the fuselage wall. You have a choice of posing the bomb bay open or closed, using a single part to depict it closed, or the four individual door parts that fold to the side in pairs with the help of a pair of retraction jacks at either end, which are all included on the sprues. The dorsal gunner’s fuselage insert is prepped by making the gun mount and dump bag that are both in two parts, and the twin guns mounted over it, which have a pair of half plate magazines fitted to the top of the breech, and a semi-circular pivot that flex-fits into recesses under the dorsal insert, after which you can glue the assembly into position in the top of the fuselage, taking care to align it minimise clean-up of seams. You have the same choice of two gun types for the nose gun that slides through a hole in the nose glazing, gluing into the nose while the canopy and dorsal glazing are fitted, being careful to paint the deck under the dorsal glazing before you add glue. The tail is begun by adding the elevator fins, which have separate flying surfaces and rudder panel, then the wings are prepared by inserting a two-part bay in each one before joining the upper and lower halves together, adding the ailerons into their slots and landing light lenses in the leading edges. They are then glued onto the wing root fairings on the fuselage, which have a lip to ensure proper location, and a slot for the short length of spar that extends from the wing to further improve joint strength. The wheels are installed under the wings before the engines and lower cowling are made up, starting with the tail-wheel slipped into its yoke, and then adding the two-part wheels to the H-frame main strut, which has a two-part support frame fitted to the front, and a long yoke with mudguard and additional V-strut that links the lower leg to the back of the bay. Four small parts are fixed to the wing inside the bays, and the lower cowlings are made up out of two halves trapping a round bulkhead, adding a pair of two-part intakes top and bottom, then sliding the lower nacelle over the completed wheels and mating the edges with the recessed lip of the lower wing surface. The engines are built-up on bulkheads with the cooling flaps moulded-in, a separate exhaust stack underneath, and a depiction of both cylinder banks, plus the front bell-housing with push-rods moulded-in, hiding the prop axle inside without glue so that the props can spin later, and fitting a wiring loom guide around the bell housing. The finished engines are covered by two cowling halves and a separate lip, gluing them to the front of the nacelles and finishing them off by adding the three-bladed prop and separate spinner. The model is completed by installing an antenna post and D/F loop over the canopy, and a curious-looking cranked pitot probe in the leading edge of the port wing that keeps the sensor out of the wing’s airflow. Markings There are five options on the decal sheet, with only two in light green-grey, one in wide camouflage stripes, another with a dense dark green squiggle camouflage scheme over green-grey, and the final choice with a fully green upper surface. From the box you can build one of the following: 60th Sentai, China, early 1939 – pre-production aircraft 60th Sentai, China, 1941 14th Sentai, probably China, 1941 105 Kyoiku Hiko Rentai, presumably 1942 64th Sentai, 1943 Decals are by ICM’s usual partner, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. As is common now with ICM kits, there is a page of the instruction booklet devoted to the masking of the canopy, using the printed shapes on the right of the page and the diagrams on the left to create your own masks if you wish. It goes up to 130 thanks to the extensive greenhouse glazing. Conclusion A nicely detailed and most welcome new tooling of this short-lived (in front line service at least) heavy bomber in its first variant, which should by now have seen the older vacform tooling from another manufacturer no-longer needed unless you like a challenge. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  10. Gotha Go.244B-2 (48224) 1:48 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd Germany broke new ground in WWII in the successful use of Paratroop landings in gliders that met with some initial successes, although that method of delivering soldiers and materiel hasn’t seen much use since the end of WWII, possibly following the experiences of the Allies later in the war and around D-Day. Gotha created the small DFS 230 that was used by Fallschirmjager units during the early part of the war, and the RLM subsequently issued a specification for a larger glider that could carry 20 fully equipped troops into action, or alternatively bring equipment of an equivalent weight to the battle. Gotha’s offering was a simple tapered box on wings, but with a twin-tail boom that allowed the cargo version to unload from the rear using a simple flip-up rear fuselage, and later the troop carrier could also unload from the rear with the addition of new doors. The type entered service soon after its initial flight in 1941, with over 1,500 manufactured in various guises. The initial A series was split into troop and cargo types, with the following B series being improved from experience and sporting upgraded landing gear, plus double rear doors for faster troop exit. A further C series was intended for water landings using a boat-shaped hull to carry explosive-laden small boats to maritime targets, although that never reached service. Once Gotha we happy with it as a glider, the immediately experimented with adding engines in nacelles that extended the twin booms past the leading edge of the wings, settling on the Gnome-Rhône 14Ms for most production airframes, mounted in counter-rotating forms to reduce torque steering during take-off and landing to acceptable levels. This would allow the aircraft to both power themselves to their destination, and if they remained undamaged after landing, they could also make the trip back home to begin the process again. It also freed-up the He.111 or Stuka tow-planes that would be given other duties instead. Take-off was marginal with a heavy load however, so RATO bottles were developed to give the aircraft an extra boost, which wouldn’t be required at the other end of the journey, all being well. The Kit This is a minor but important re-tool of ICM’s recent kit of this boxy glider, that turns the model from a glider to a powered aircraft, which changed its role substantially. The kit arrives in a top-opening box covered in a painting of the aircraft in-flight with its landing gear clearly visible, and the slight upward angle to the new engine nacelles when compared to the booms. The usual captive flap on the lower tray exposes thirteen (or eleven if you count them as they arrive) sprues in grey styrene, one of clear parts, the instruction booklet in spot colour on glossy paper, and a long slender decal sheet. The first thing that’s evident on perusal of the sprues is that the wingspan is substantial, and the designers at ICM have put a lot of effort into the detail that’s moulded-into the model, especially the sections that are fabric over a tubular framework. Construction begins with the large floor space, which is made up from the fabric outer skin with visible ribbing, onto which the floor surface is added in two sections, after drilling several 1mm holes in the skin first. The forward section is then enclosed by a tubular framework that stops at the centre bulkhead, which also has short spars moulded-in, with a bulkhead between the passenger and pilot sections, adding a headrest for the pilot. The twenty passenger seats are each made from horizontal and vertical sections that are then arranged into two rows of 10 and are fitted out with diagonal braces that mate with the rear legs, plus a length of top bracketing that allow the seats to stand clear of the wall. Both rows are glued into the passenger compartment either side of the fuselage behind the central bulkhead, and a triangular section of framework is attached to the aft section of the area, following which the side walls are made up from two parts each, and either five or six windows on the sides that are applied from the inside. The walls are fixed to the floor assembly along with the roof once the cockpit is made up. This isn’t a training variant, but the controls are still duplicated on both sides of the cockpit for redundancy, starting with a well-detailed pair of rudder pedals that each comprise four parts. The control column differs between stations, with the pilot having a column tilted at the top with separate yoke, while the co-pilot has a straight stick for when he needs to take over, for example when landing under fire and the pilot is incapacitated. The seats differ too, as the pilot has a sturdier five-part seat that has an adjustment wheel, while the co-pilot has a simple two-part affair. These are all inserted onto a cockpit floor that is placed within the front of the fuselage at the time when the sides and roof are both added with a 15g nose weight under the floor, and the instrument binnacle with decal on the left in front of the pilot. The cockpit surround is incomplete at this stage, fitting the roof panel first, then adding the nose ‘cone’ along with another shared instrument panel on a set of braces made up from two parts, plus another decal. The floor under the pilot’s feet is inserted from outside with the fuselage inverted, plus two panels of side glazing and a single windscreen part that has an optional 0.8mm hole drilled in it to mount the guns, and a throttle quadrant from the new sprues. Take it easy if you decide to drill the canopy, as clear styrene is much easier to damage because of its brittle nature, and can star when pushed through, leaving an ugly scar. Light pressure, a blob of BluTak behind it and plenty of patience is the way to go. The wings of the 244 are necessarily long for lift, thanks to its glider heritage, and for later installation on the tips of the booms the two new engine nacelles are made in a pair from two halves, adding radiator fairings and cores before closing them up. The wings are each moulded as top and bottom skins, which have some lovely ribbing and other details moulded-in as you can see above, and have the flying surfaces as separate sub-assemblies of two parts each. Once the halves are joined, they have the new front nacelle fairings added top and bottom to where the booms will be, then have the two flap sections and long ailerons slotted into the trailing edges. This is repeated again in mirror-image of course, and the two wings are slotted onto their projecting spar sections, taking care to put them on with the leading edges and canopy pointing in the same direction. A pair of supports are added underneath in recessed sockets that have been amended for the new variant, although I’d be tempted to leave those off until after main painting was complete so they don’t get damaged or lead to rough surface texture of the paint. The aft section of the fuselage is next to be assembled, adding the windows inserted from inside of the tapered panels, and the internal framework added, then they are set apart by three more framework sections, after which the lower part with window, internal floor with steps, and roof with framework and observation window (the reason for the steps) added, to be finished off with a transparent end cap giving even better field of view, just in case they’re being stalked by a fighter from behind. The door pivots upward between the booms, and can either be glued closed, or propped open with five supports holding it at the correct angle. Again, if you are using the self-defence armament, another 0.8mm hole needs to be drilled near the hatch in the roof of the aft section. The booms are simple and made from two parts each, with separate rudders and a single two-part elevator panel with separate flying surfaces. The instructions show the completed assembly being offered up to the rear of the model, but it may be more prudent to glue one boom in place first, then add the other with the elevator once the glue is set on the first boom. A forest of actuators and mass balances are added all around the flying surfaces later, but first the Gnome-Rhone engines are built from two banks of pistons that are made from front and rear halves each, plus intake pipework, push-rods, and finally the exhaust collector and final outlet, which has a hollow tip thanks to an insert near the end. Another pipe with connector is added to give the engine a symmetrical pair of top exhausts to trail back over the cowlings, which is exactly where they go in the next step. The main landing gear is made next, based on a single strut per side that is supported on an extended A-frame that runs forward under the fuselage, and sports a two-part wheel at each end. The nose gear is suited to being towed, as it has a long beam running forward from the pivot-point, with the castor wheel behind it, and a pair of forks at the front. The props are moulded as single three-blade parts, which are sandwiched between the spinner and backplate, each one with a pin on the rear that fits into the bell-housing at the front of the engines. The final parts are used for two optional self-defence machine guns that are fixed to the top of the windscreen and in front of the observation window in the aft section of the fuselage, both having a moulded-in concertina dump bag for the spent brass, and a double C-shaped ‘snail’ mag clipped over the breech. Markings There are two decal options on the sheet, both with yellow wingtips with a tail band in the same colour, and both wearing splinter camouflage over the topsides. ICM have also included a printed template for masking the copious glazing that’s present on this aircraft, which should come in handy and save some hassle, even if you’re confident masking canopies yourself. From the box you can build one of the following: Go.244B-2, 106 Special Purpose Battle Groups (KGr.z.b.V.106), Kirovohrad, 1942 Go.244B-2, Probably Hagenow, Germany, 1942 Decals are by ICM’s usual partner, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion The Go.242 was a quirky-looking box that appeals due to many factors, but with props it still manages to look peculiar. Detail is excellent, extending throughout the interior and within the engine cowlings, so it’s something a little bit out of the usual. Very highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  11. Hello fellows! Here, my new project: the Tiger Moth, British training aircraft, from ICM in 1/32 scale. This is the boxart: : And a pic of the sprues: According to the instructions, I opened several holes in the fuselage and wings, in order to put the rigging. I passed through the holes standard sewing thread. After this, the fuselage was painted in green cockpit: Here, the two halves glued together: After, I assembled and painted the engine: Also, I added a couple of wires...I want this part be visible. For this, I'm going to use small magnets to fix the cover in place, without gluing, but allowing to remove it if desired. This other side, will be closed after assembly: A couple of pics of the engine and the cover open. The black arrow shows the place where the first magnet is glued: And here, the magnets in the cover side: Here, notice the magnet put in the front part. Finally, I needed four small magnets, in order to fix the cover properly: And this is the final result. The cover can be easily removed to show the engine: And close after. That's all for the moment. I hope you like it, and thanks for watching! Josep
  12. Hello fellows, Let me show my last project. The Tiger Moth DH82 A- British Training Aircraft -1/32 from ICM. This model has been fun to make, and everything went well, until the time to put the wiring, where it was not possible for me to get the result I wanted. The rigging were loose, after several attempts to put them in tension. In this sense, the difficulty has exceeded my skills, and I have finally let some rigging loose. I hope that the next model with rigging will be better...🤞 Anyway, I leave you these photos of the finished model. I'm quite happy with the painting, camouflage scheme and the installation of some small magnets to be able to remove the cover and see the engine. Here, a link to WIP: As always, thanks you guys for your comments. Cheers! Josep
  13. WWII British Aircraft Armament (48407) 1:48 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd During WWII, numerous weapons systems (as we’d call them now) were developed to fight the Axis forces, standardised for mass manufacture, and for ease of interoperability between types of aircraft in use at the time. These were adapted and improved over time in light of operational experience, the Allies finishing the war with a much more potent arsenal than it started with. This set depicts some of these designs, and arrives in a small top-opening box with a captive flap on the lower tray. Inside are four sprues of grey styrene, a decal sheet, two instruction booklets and a pamphlet advertising the recently launched ICM range of acrylic paints that we’ve reviewed on this here forum. One sprue depicts the British 18” Mk.XII Torpedo that was an air-launched variant of the earlier Mk.XI, entering service in the early 30s. The Mark.12 was the variant used by the Fleet Air Arm and RAF Coastal Command during WWII, and could be fitted with a break-off wooden tail fairing to reduce entry speed into the water, and the nose was painted red for a training round, or the less visible black for a live round, which goes against the “red for danger” methodology normally used. It is the most complex assembly of the set and has its own booklet that details construction. The torpedo is made first, built from two halves with a double row of screws and a pair of perpendicular fins at the rear, two of which are moulded-in. The optional break-off tail is made from two rectangular end panels, with a single horizontal plane stretching between them. The wooden tail includes the tail fins of the torpedo and is a straight replacement to the standard fins, then a spacer and large spinner are fitted to the front. The guts of the trolley consists of two scissor jacks, and these are both made from four parts each that are mounted onto a slotted base, then surrounded by a framework with two small balancing wheels at either end. A short axle projects from the centre of the rails, and these mount a larger wheel with integrated tyre, plus a winder at each end that operates the scissor-jacks (on the real thing). The torpedo is lowered into the cradle along the trolley’s direction of travel to finish off. The other three sprues are identical, containing parts that allow you to make the following: 3 x 1,500lb Aerial Mine 6 x GP 250lb Bomb 6 x MC 250lb Bomb 6 x MC 500lb Bomb 6 x GP 500lb Bomb 6 x SAP 250lb Bomb 6 x Bomb Rack, combination of left & right wings, plus two bomb bay racks Each bomb is made from two halves, adding end caps and parachute bundle to the mine, additional fins and circular rings to the majority of the others, and a choice of sway-braces to the bomb racks, depending on which bombs you will be mounting. Markings The torpedo and trailer have no stencils, but the bombs have stencils and designation bands around them, which are curved on the sheet to ensure that they conform to the shape of the weapon they’re intended for. Decals are by ICM’s usual partners, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion A useful set for anyone with a need for munitions for their latest British WWII project. There are a lot of them in the box, and despite their simple construction, they have plenty of detail moulded-in. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  14. WWII Pilots of British Naval Aviation (32118) 1:32 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd As if flying in and out of an aircraft carrier wasn’t dangerous enough, during WWII the enemy tended to shoot at you if you got in visual range, and the brave British Naval fliers kept going out when bidden, often in biplane aircraft that were arguably long overdue for replacement, such as the Fairey Swordfish. Their crews were truly legendary, and frequently suffered heavy casualties, despite the German gunners having trouble predicting their advances with their automated gun directors because they were so slow. When a torpedo bomber is lining up on its target however, flying straight and steady is required for accuracy, giving the enemy gunners a comparatively easy target to aim at. The Kit This figure set is a new tooling from ICM to place on or near your 1:32 British Naval project from WWII, whether it’s a Stringbag or not. The kit arrives in a slim top-opening box with the usual captive flap on the lower tray, and inside is a single sprue in grey styrene that contains parts to make the three gentlemen that are depicted on the box art. The three figures include a rating, a pilot and an officer, all looking in (presumably) the same direction as if they are watching a colleague coming in to land. The rating is shielding his eyes against bright sunlight, and the officer is pointing in the direction of the object of their attention, while the pilot is stabilising his parachute on one shoulder, with the other hand in his pocket, wearing full flight gear that includes boots, jacket and flying helmet plus goggles. The parts for each figure are found in separate areas of the sprue for ease of identification, and parts breakdown is sensibly placed along clothing seams or natural breaks to minimise clean-up of the figures once they are built up. The sculpting is typically excellent, as we’ve come to expect from ICM’s artists and tool-makers, with natural poses, drape of clothing and textures appropriate to the parts of the model. The pilot’s Mae West life vest is separated from the front of the figure to ease moulding, and his ‘chute is made from an additional three parts, plus his goggles are separate too, as are the straps under his chin, depicted undone in this boxing. The other figures are each detailed with their own accessories, the officer having a folder moulded into his right arm, while the rating is carrying a can of paint moulded into his hand, with a separate paintbrush resting across the top of the lid. The instructions are a combined painting and assembly guide, using black numbers to identify parts for the figures, and red boxed letters for paints, cross-referencing the letters against a paint chart on the opposite side that gives names of paint colours in Ukrainian and English, plus ICM’s own paint codes. From these you should be well able to determine which paints to use if you don’t happen to have the necessary ICM paints to hand. Conclusion Detail is excellent, as are the poses and cloth drape and folds over their limbs, making this a compelling figure set to add that human scale to your 1:32 project. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  15. ICM is to release new tool 1/32nd Gloster Gladiator kits: - ref. 32040 - Gloster Gladiator Mk.I - released Sources: https://icm.com.ua/aviation/gloster-gladiator-mk-i-wwii-british-fighte/ https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM32040 - ref. 32041 - Gloster Gladiator Mk.II - released Source: https://icm.com.ua/aviation/gloster-gladiator-mk-ii-2/ - ref. 32042 - Gloster Sea Gladiator Mk.II - released Source: https://icm.com.ua/aviation/gloster-sea-gladiator-mk-ii-3/ - ref. 32043 - Gloster Sea Gladiator Mk.I with British Pilots in Tropical Uniform - released Source: https://icm.com.ua/aviation/gloster-gladiator-mk-i-2/ - ref. 32044 - Gloster J8 Gladiator - Swedish fighter - released Source: https://icm.com.ua/aviation/j-8-gladiator/ - ref. 32045 - Gloster Sea Gladiator Mk.II with Royal Navy pilots - released Source: https://icm.com.ua/aviation/gloster-sea-gladiator-mk-ii-with-royal-navy-pilots/ Dedicated decals by ICM: - ref. D3204 - Gladiator Mk.I/II in Foreign Services - released Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICMD32004 V.P.
  16. Ok this STGB came up way quicker than I expected, but the Turd is finished so there’s room for this build. The model is ICM’s wonderful MiG-25 RBF, the main reason I bought it (it was some time ago) was for that crazy scheme on the box, bonkers and I love it... ..... and yes not to disappoint some or to cause worry about my mental health, there is some AM bits as well ..... .... some nice new cans, I did have some resin wheels for her, but I stole them for the M-G-25 PD. So I had to go shopping for more, well that’s my excuse! ...and along the way these fell into the basket as well! Now these Reskit U/c bits.....WOW!!! They are so finely detailed and printed, they even have special instructions, 20+ steps on how to release them from their cages! Finally, the scheme, well as much as I liked that crazy box art one I am now building on a theme so she will be a Ukraine bird. For this I’m using one of FoxBot’s wonderful decal sets. They give you a choice of RBF, RBS, and RBT versions. I’ll be building the RBT, the scheme of which is on the other side of this picture! Plus I’ll be using FoxBot’s stencils. When they were in the early designing phase of the Foxbat, they wanted to know what the secret was to producing the ultimate fighter/interceptor! At that stage it was the Phantom and thought the secret to its success was all the stencils on it, so they decided to go one better! Instead of the thousands of stencils as on the Phantom they put billions on the Foxbat!!! Oh dear....I’m going to be playing “Where’s Ivan” for the next year or so with these! The reason why I still haven’t finished the PD!! There should be a nice quick build, no nasty surprises with this model, plus I’m be fitting the new cans as I build the model, not right at the end as I did with the PD......and you there will be a thread for that one.
  17. Hello all 😁 Well after nearly a year!! 😳 I'm back in the game. 1/1 scale work pretty much done and I have my room back. I know I have two other builds on the go, the Dorchester which I will return to one day and the Mantis which will I will carry on with soon. The question, of course, was what to build next? I have an extensive stash and while discussing the options with a good friend (Who has 12 un finished planes which made me feel a bit better) I plumped for a Tetrarch. So off I went to the local model shop in Glastonbury but they didn't have one. They didn't have much I fancied actually. The next option was a Crusader MkIII with a Sunshield cover but then I spotted this. I have always fancied one. It does look like something from WW1 with that typical open cab, no frills British design. It doesn't even have proper seats!! Good old Leyland 🙄 There is a lot of big flat bits which most of which will end up in the parts box as I plan to do my own canvas and frame. Quality is rather nice, this is my first ICM build. Crisp and very clean with virtually no seamlines. Even the ejector pins are few and far between and very well placed. The detail is probably on a par with Tamya which is no bad thing but it's not up there with Gecko or Riich. The extras, The glass is a bit thick and I'll replace that with some PET sheet. The PE is simple but effective, the decals are a bit limited but look ok especially the addition of the instruments which is often lacking in other kits. And of course you have my pet hate, those bloody nylon wheels. WHY!!!! It's not a toy, they paint terribly and can't be weighted. Do proper weighted injection moulded ones. We wouldn't have to spend another £20 on after market Grrrrrrrrr. So in my haste I cracked on with the build and in that haste I forgot to take any pics until I had finished for the day. Anyway it went together very nicely. Very little clean up, instructions made sense and everything fitted . So nice 😎 Engine won't be seen so I wont add any wires etc. There are two options for the front steering. Straight ahead with fixed parts or at an angle with individual parts. Nice touch. I plumped for straight ahead but I haven't glued the 'discs' yet as that will happen when I put the wheels on. (That's why they look a bit wonky) Everything else is pretty straight and flat 👍🏻 The aftermarket wheels will take about a week to get here and I've ordered some PE which is coming from Uzbekistan or somewhere which will take about a month. I'll do what I can with the cab and rear but that will be a good point in which to carry on with the Mantis. So that was my first day bag since last May! Very nice it was to and very therapeutic. I needed this. Good to be back chaps and chapesses 🤡 Andrew
  18. After the giant 1/35th kits (link), ICM is to release in 2025 1/72nd Sikorsky CH-54 Tahre kits. Source: catalogue 2024. V.P.
  19. In 2024 (originally in Q4 2023, but...) , ICM is to release a 1/32nd Henschel Hs-123A-1 kit - ref. 32014 Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM32014 Box art V.P.
  20. Finally a KUTA build with wings from me - a FW 189, ICM kit. Another oh so close build, It needs some masking/painting to do the yellow areas on the body/under-wings, decals, the props and various other minor bits attaching. Let's hope that texture on the wings is mainly dust and those glazing masks come off without too much damage!
  21. Krankenpanzerwagen (35113) Sd.Kfz.251/8 Ausf.A WWII German Ambulance 1:35 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd The Hanomag Sd.Kfz.251 was the mainstay of the German armoured Personnel Carrier fleet, but was flexible enough to also take up many other tasks within the Nazi War Machine, from Anti-Aircraft duties to Howitzer carriage and back again to armoured reconnaissance, which led to a lot of variants. With two steering wheels at the front, the rear was carried on tracks, giving it good clearance and rough ground capabilities that a truck simply could not manage once the going got tough. It was armoured sufficiently to deflect non-armour piercing rounds from small arms fire, but with an open top it was susceptible to both grenades and aerial bombardment, where the armour would concentrate the blast and reduce the interior and its occupants to a tangled mess. The Ausf.A was used at the beginning of WWII alongside the Ausf.B, and was generally fitted with an MG.34 on the front cab wall, operated from inside. The armoured ambulance variant was of course unarmed to avoid braking convention, and in place of the military equipment normally found in the load area, it had two litters for casualties, and was crewed by medical staff. There were more than 20 official variants and more unofficial field modifications, but despite their seemingly ubiquitous nature in German service, not many were preserved after the war, and they are highly sought after now, with many examples being based upon post-war builds from Czech factories that have been made to look as convincing as possible by their restorers. While the purist may notice the differences in films, they're still a huge improvement on repainted American half-tracks from an authenticity point of view. The Kit This is a reboxing with different parts of the 2018 tooling, and extends the range to a less combative aspect of the vehicle’s operational duties. The kit arrives in a medium sized box, with a captive flap on the lower tray, and inside are six sprues of grey styrene, a clear sprue, and two sprues of flexible black parts. A small decal sheet is found slipped inside the glossy colour printed instruction booklet, completing the package. This is a full interior kit, and has the engine, crew compartment and a substantial number of internal parts, including personal weapons, stowage and two beds mounted on one side, with a stretcher folded against one wall to bring new patients to and from the vehicle, so the build should result in a highly detailed model. The tracks included are of the flexible variety, although a little flash is evident here and there on our sample. This is easily removed with a sharp pair of scissors or a brand-new #11 blade on a firm surface. Construction begins with the underfloor pan, which has two cross-members fore and aft, adding the sides of the tray, which is then added to the interior floor, and has stowage bins added to the sponsons over the tracks. The angular hull sides are held in the correct angle by butting up against the sides of the bins, and the rear bulkhead with door cut-out completes alignment. The engine compartment is fabricated from various panels including an armoured sump-guard, and work commences on the engine and compartment fittings. Suspension, steering gear and the block are assembled and fitted in turn, with colour call-outs to help you get the painting right, and a twin-fan radiator at the very front. The firewall is fitted out with the driver's controls with decal applied, then is inserted into a ledge within the hull, after which some engine ancillaries fit to the other side of the bulkhead. The driver's seat, bench seats and a range of tools, an MP40 and spare ammunition are installed with the upper hull plates off, while a narrow former marks the difference between the cab and crew compartment, which will be hidden under the upper hull part when it is installed. The bench seating in the rear compartment is assembled and fitted in place on the left side, adding a four-part ribbed drum at the front between the crew seats, and a single bench seat at the rear, all supported by simple legs with diagonal braces. On the right side, a litter is built from two rails with cross-members and the bed surface, inserting it in four recesses in the floor along with a blanket strapped to the walls, and a co-driver’s seat. The folded away right seats are fastened to the wall, leaving the rear seat open for the use of medical crew or passengers, adding a headrest on supports and several brackets around the edge of the lower walls. The same headrest is also applied to the left jump seat, and a handrail is fixed to the crew divide, drilling holes to accept the pegs long the flat top of the part, preferably before installation. Oddly, the model is then flipped on its back to add a steering linkage and actuator before attention turns to the upper hull. Several vision hatches and their multi-part hinge mechanism are supplied as separate parts, as are the engine compartment hatches, plus some small flush-fitting forward stowage bins. A bullet-splash strip is applied to the roof above the crew eats, but the gun mount and stowage racks are removed, as is the gun mount at the rear of the vehicle, presumably to discourage the crews from the temptation of fitting defensive armament that could result in attacks by a confused enemy. Two thin strips are applied to the lip of the upper hull, fitting a stowage box under the dash on the co-driver’s side, attaching the rack for the upper bed across the opening, and mounting a folded stretcher on the underside of the left lip, a single part that has some impressive moulding to give the impression of multiple parts, some made from fabric. The second bed is made in the same manner as the first, and is mounted as the upper and lower hull halves are joined, trapping the two hinge frames between its halves. The angled doors are then fitted to those hinges, allowing them to operate if you have been careful with the glue, affixing a fire extinguisher to the right door near the centreline. It's unusual to get this far into an AFV model without building up the wheels and/or tracks, but it's at this stage that it's done here. A V-shaped anti-roll bar is fitted to the front axle and the rear hull, fixing swing-arms and stub axles slot into holes in the sides of the chassis, with the interleaved wheels slid onto the axles both in pairs and singly, with the drive sprocket at the front. The two steering wheels are made up from two-part hubs, and have rubberised tyres fitted to them before slotting them onto the front axles, and with the three layers of road wheels installed, the tracks can be wound round the lengths, and glued with a suitable glue, probably super-glue, or CA as modellers tend to call it. The build is finished off by addition of pioneer tools, fire extinguisher, number plate, rear towing hook, spare fuel cans in two-part racks, one per door, crew step at the rear, four hoops to accommodate a tilt in foul weather, rear view mirrors, and headlamps with clear lenses on the front fenders. Markings In keeping with German armour it's either Panzer Grey or Dunkelgelb (dark yellow), the latter camouflages as the war progressed, any camouflage benefits cancelled out by the large red and white crosses painted on each side, front and bonnet of the vehicle. From the box you can build one of the following: Sd.Kfz. 251/8 Ausf.A livery Variant for North Africa, 1941-42 Sd.Kfz. 251/8 Ausf.A livery Variant for Eastern Front, 1941-42 Decals are printed on a bright blue paper, have good register, colour density and sharpness, with decals for the driver's binnacle included on the sheet. Conclusion A welcome re-release of a Wehrmacht staple with a more peaceful task in mind, that will surely find its way into many collections, and is well detailed enough to be built out of the box for diorama purposes. Very highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  22. ICM is to release in 2021 several variants from the Ryan Firebee. - ref. 48400 - Q-2A (AQM-34B) Firebee with trailer (1 airplane and trailer) Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM48400 - ref. 48401 - Q-2C (BQM-34A) Firebee with trailer (1 airplane and trailer) Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM48401 - ref. 48402 - Q-2A (XM-21, KDA-1) Firebee, US Drone (2 airplanes and pylons) Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM48402 - ref. 48403 - Q-2C (BQM-34A) Firebee, US Drone (2 airplanes and pilons) (100% new molds) NEW - III quarter Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/ICM48403 V.P.
  23. They are already in the 1/48th scale programme 2024 (link), but ICM is also to release 1/35th Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk kits in 2025. Source: catalogue 2024 V.P.
  24. V3000S/SSM Maultier ‘Einheitsfahrerhaus’ (35410) 1:35 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd The V3000 was a product of Ford’s German operation that was established before WWII as Ford Werke, and even after WWII started, Mr Ford, who was quite a fan of Herr Hitler, continued doing business with the regime, with some saying that this relationship continued much longer than it perhaps should have done. The truck was powered by a V8 petrol engine that output a respectable 95hp, with a load capacity of three tonnes and a single enclosed cabin, that while the crew compartment was angular with no consideration to aerodynamics, it kept the crew dry and warm. Initial production batches suffered from overheating issues when the weather was warmer, so later variants had larger radiators and additional vents around the bonnet to allow more cooling air into the compartment. The V3000S came into service in 1941, and was built in many forms, sometimes referred to as the Maultier when the rear axle was replaced by a track system to improve traction on poor ground, others using the long-winded Einheitsfahrerhaus, which means single cabin. As strategic resources became an issue, efforts were made to simplify production and reduce the use of metallic components, with many cabs being made from pressed wooden panels, which introduced the problem of rotting during the extreme freeze/thaw cycle that was inherent to the climate on the Eastern Front. Over 25,000 were made of all types throughout the war, and at the end of the conflict, even though Ford’s factory had led a relatively charmed life with little damage and had chosen to use slave labour despite not being forced to, the parent company was given $1.1m in war damages, and was allowed access to the profits from the WWII period. Mr Ford must have had some pretty powerful connections. The Kit This is a reboxing of a fully-wheeled kit that originated in 2010, but has had new parts added in the interim, and has also been seen in other people’s boxes over the years. It arrives in ICM’s top-opening box with a captive flap on the lower tray, and inside are five sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue, small decal sheet inside the glossy colour printed instruction booklet, which has colour profiles of the decal options on the rear pages. Detail is good, and incorporates a full engine and bay, chassis, axles, tracks and cab features, as we’ve come to expect from ICM. Construction begins with the chassis rails, which are extended on top at the rear, then are fitted with three two-part u-clamps, after which the cross-braces are prepared by adding small parts to them to improve the detail. There are a total of six cross-beams joining the two rails together, then the leaf-spring suspension is attached underneath each end, adding extra parts at the front. The V8 engine is built upon a two-part block, which has cylinder heads and ancillaries added, plus air box, gear lever over the transmission box, and cooling fan at the front. The completed motor is dropped into the front of the chassis, with a two-part spare tyre on a double-rail in the middle of the chassis, then a choice of early or late radiators are built, one having directing tin-work to guide the air from the fan behind it. It is fitted to the front of the chassis, joined to the engine by a pair of L-shaped feeder hoses, which vary between the style of radiator you have chosen. The front wheels are made from two halves, with a stepped washer placed in the centre without glue to allow them to rotate after completion, so don’t overdo the glue. They are joined to the ends of the front axle, with a steering arm ensuring that the wheels turn in unison once they are glued in place and the axle is fitted to the leaf-springs under the chassis, which also received a straight bumper iron and two curved support rods to the sides. An exhaust is made from three parts, leading from the down-pipe across the chassis, then back toward a muffler, after which it dog-legs back across the chassis to exit in front of the rear axle. A sub-frame for the track assembly is provided, and must be detailed with several brackets and pivots, before the drive axle is built from two parts to create the thickness of the differential, fitting three-layered drive sprockets to each end, then making up four twin wheel bogeys with separate springs and a small return roller at the top. The rear axle is fitted to the open end of the sub-frame, and the idler wheels are installed on the simple axle at the other end, mounting the four bogeys, two per side on the remaining tubular axles. The track is link-and-length, using long runs across the top and bottom of the road wheels, adding short diagonals to the ends of the bottom run, then completing the rounded ends with eight individual links wrapped round the idler and drive sprockets. The completed track assembly is mounted on the underside of the chassis, and power is provided by a short drive-shaft from the transmission to the differential. The cab is begun by inserting the two radiused windscreen panels into the frame at the top of the firewall bulkhead, and placing the dashboard under it, applying a decal to depict the instruments. The floor panel with integral kick-board has the foot pedals and handbrake lever applied, then it is mated with the bulkhead, which has a lower section installed at the same time to extend it into the firewall and create the footwell. A short scuttle panel covers the space under the windscreen, and the engine bay’s side walls are fitted to mount the curved radiator grille between their front ends, after which the driver gets his steering wheel on a short column, then a bench seat is glued to the floor in two parts, adding the door frames on each side, and the rear of the cab that has the back cushion and a small window fitted before it is mated with the base and the roof is mounted. The doors each have handles and window-winders plus flat clear panes to keep the weather out. The tapering bonnet has two extensions added to the underside, plus a brace across the underside and a fin with logo down the centre, or there is an alternative with more grille cut-outs in the front of the bonnet that has a fin without logo and uses different parts, including a separate front that has the grille cut-outs moulded-in. The assemblies are brought together to complete the cab, which then has a choice of three styles of fenders, all of which require alteration to remove or shorten the crew steps that are moulded in. A convoy light, headlamps with clear lenses, door handles, fuel filler cap, width indicator lollipops, windscreen wipers, outer door handles and even a shovel are added around the exterior of the cab to finish it off. The load bed has a single floor part that is stiffened by adding five cross-members underneath, and four shallow risers around the edges, the headboard being higher than the others, with a cut-out for rear visibility. Two small three-part stowage boxes are made and fixed under opposite corners of the bed, then the front mudguards are fitted to reduce spatter from the tracks covering the cab, with no regard for those behind them. The headboard has a two-part frame for the tilt slotted into receivers moulded into the headboard, and the three sub-assemblies are then brought together to create the finished truck. Markings There are three options included on the tiny decal sheet, all in later war Dunkelgelb dark yellow, with one wearing a comprehensive brown and green camouflage scheme applied over the yellow, the other overlaid with a heavy coating of winter distemper paint that is starting to wear away into a mottled pattern in places. From the box you can build one of the following: Non-camouflage 1944 Camouflage 1944 Winter Camouflage 1944 Decals are by ICM’s usual partners, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion A welcome re-release of the base kit in later war tracked variation, where it more closely resembles some of Soviet Russia’s output of the time, especially around the boxy cab. Plenty of detail is apparent, and construction should be straight forward, remembering that you have a choice of radiators that then informs your choice of bonnet fittings. Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
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